FLASH

FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY IS A POWERFUL TOOL IN A PHOTOGRAPHER'S ARSENAL, WHETHER IT BE A REMBRANDT SETUP IN A STUDIO, A POINT AND SHOOT FLASH LIGHTING A BACKLIT LOVER AT SUNSET, OR ANYTHING IN THE BROAD SPECTRUM BETWEEN THESE EXTREMES.

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WE FILM PHOTOGRAPHRS ARE OFTEN FORCED TO CALCULATE FLASH SETTINGS MANUALLY. MOST CAMERAS WE USE LACK TTL FUNCTIONALITY, OFFERING AN AUTO THYRISTOR AT BEST. SOMETIMES MANUAL CONTROL IS JUST BETTER, AND LEARNING TO CALCULATE AT LEAST BASIC FLASH CONTROL ON THE FLY IS CHALLENGING.

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THE REFLX LAB MINI FLASH HAS A GUIDE NUMBER OF JUST 5' SO IS A VERY LOW-POWER OPTION. I SEE IT AS A FILL FLASH FOR DAYLIGHT SHOOTING, OR A REGULAR OLD FLASH FOR ISO 400+ FILM AND A WIDE-ISH APERTURE (F/2.8-ISH) AT CLOSER DISTANCES, MUCH THE SAME WAY A P&S FLASH WOULD BE USED. 

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AS THIS FLASH OFFERS NO MANUAL CONTROLS BEYOND THE POWER SWITCH, I PREPARED TWO FLASH CHARTS IN BOTH METRIC AND IMPERIAL UNITS. THE METRIC DISTANCES WERE CHOSEN TO MATCH COMMON FOCUS DISTANCES MARKINGS (0.7 M, 1 M, 1.5 M, 3 M). THE IMPERIAL DISTANCES WERE CHOSEN TO MATCH WHOLE STOP APERTURE SETTINGS, AS I FELT THAT 7' @ F/2.8 IS BETTER THAN 6' BUT AT F/3.2.

 

JUST INFER ANYTHING ELSE - IT SHOULD BE FINE!

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THESE CHARTS CAN BE USED FREELY; THEY'RE JUST EXCEL TABLES. IF YOU REHOST THEM I WOULD APPRECIATE A LITTLE SHOUTOUT THOUGH, IF YOU WOULD!